Harry Potter and the Black Days of Bolderwesh
by Juel Jupiter
Summary: Harry's fifth year in Hogwarts, starting with a tempestuous summer. Some romance could blossom for Harry in later chapters. No, I will not kill off the Dursleys! My first fic, please R/R :)
1. Mystified Muggle News Reports

Harry Potter  
And the Black Days of Bolderwesh  
Year 5 at Hogwarts  
  
  
Chapter One: Mystified Muggle News Reports  
  
  
Vernon Dursley wasn't kind a man…he wasn't very tolerant of anything he found strange. Magic was one of these "strange" things. As luck would have it, his nephew, Harry Potter, was one of the most famous wizards in the magical world. Mr. Dursley tried his very best to stamp the magic out of Harry from his early years, but that had failed. On Harry's eleventh birthday he set on to go to Hogwarts School of Witchery and Wizardry. Every summer when Harry came back to Privet Drive the Dursley's were more horrible to him than the summer before.   
  
This summer Mr. Dursley was even more cruel than usual. Harry was more submissive…he had a lot on his mind. Voldemort's beginning ascent to power the previous school year was worrying him to no end. There was no point in discussing his worries with any of the Dursleys; they'd more likely lock him up for years than try to even understand his problems.   
  
One sweltering summer day in early July, Dudley was lying on a lopsided couch looking very dilapidated himself. Mr. Dursley was fanning himself with his newspaper, his bushy mustache drooping slightly.   
  
"Get the mail, boy," growled Uncle Vernon. Naturally, he was speaking to Harry. He wouldn't talk to his precious "Dudder-kins" that way. Usually Dudley would have flashed a smug smile Harry's way but it was simply too hot for him to even bother. With a sigh, Harry heaved himself up off of the floor and sulked to the door. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the coming term. He opened the door to pick up the bulging pile of mail on the Dursleys' doorstep but stopped in midair. There was something large flying towards him, whom he recognized as his beautiful snowy owl, Hedwig. She'd been gone for a few days, and Harry was glad to see her back safely. He was surprised to see a small roll of parchment attached to her leg. She fluttered onto his arm and nipped his ear affectionately. He took the parchment off of her leg and read it. It was a letter from his godfather, Sirius.  
  
*** *** ***  
Harry, things aren't going too well here. Voldemort is getting more powerful, the signs are clearer. Karkaroff has been murdered, Voldemort's Death Eaters caught up with him somewhere in Norway. Do your best to stay indoors, and don't bother going to Ron's this holiday. Dumbledore wants you with the Dursleys until you come to Hogwarts. You should be getting a letter from Hogwarts soon; I don't know all the details yet. As I said, try to stay safe and indoors, Voldemort's spies are evertwhere. Keep your eyes open, and keep me posted on anything unusual. Don't go looking for trouble, and don't worry too much.  
Sirius  
*** *** ***  
  
Harry couldn't help but worry. Voldemort's Death Eaters were vicious…and they could be anywhere. Knowing the Dursleys (and he did), they would hand him over to any old cloaked stranger who seemed particularly murderous. I'll probably stay in my room for most of the summer. At least it's a little safe in there, Harry thought. He wasn't scared, he'd faced dangerous stuff before this...his years at Hogwarts were nothing BUT strange, so he was accustomed to everything being a bit dodgy. Something inside him was feeling just a bit more cautious; he had never really faced Voldemort fully powerful.  
  
Engulfed in his own world of thought, Harry picked up the Dursleys' mail...not noticing the thick parchment envelope bearing the Hogwarts emblem, sticking out of the pile. He walked into the house and tossed the mail on a side table near the damp-looking Mr. Dursley. Harry walked up to his room very slowly, barely paying attention to where he was going.  
  
As he flopped onto his bed, a loud sound erupted from downstairs. It sounded very much like a roar. In particular, a roar from Mr. Dursley. Harry knew this sound only too well.  
  
"Brilliant. I'm getting into trouble yet again. Wonder what it is this time," muttered Harry as he sulkily walked down to the sitting room. His dejected gait resembled that of Viktor Krum's, the world famous Bulgarian Quidditch Seeker.  
  
"YOU EXPLAIN THIS RIGHT NOW," fumed Mr. Dursley. His beefy neck and sweaty face were redder than usual. His right eye had developed a queer twitch. It took almost all of Harry's willpower to keep from snickering. In Mr. Dursley's hand was the large Hogwarts envelope. It was also twitching angrily.  
  
Harry grabbed the envelope and tore it open. He recognized the handwriting on the top piece of parchment as Dumbledore's. This bothered Harry before he had even read the letter. Why had Dumbledore himself written Harry a letter? He unfolded the parchment and read the message.  
  
*** *** ***  
Harry, I want you to come to Hogwarts early. Voldemort's present movements are very shadowed. I do not believe keeping you at the Dursleys' for the entire holiday is best and, as I said previously, staying with the Weasley's is not an option. I have decided to arrange for you to come to Hogwarts a month early with Ron and Hermione. You shall return to school on August 1st, Hagrid will meet you at King's Cross that day. From the Dursleys', Ministry of Magic officials will escort you on broom. Ron and Hermione will meet you at King's Cross as well. If you need to purchase anything for school, Hagrid will take you to Diagon Alley on July 31.   
Professor Albus Dumbledore  
*** *** ***  
  
Harry looked up, eyes wide, mouth open. Even though Dumbledore sounded very worried, he couldn't get over the fact that he got to leave the Dursleys early, and a month early at that. He looked down at the letter again, just to reassure himself that he wasn't dreaming. Absorbed in a world of possibilities and things to look forward to, Harry didn't notice another two pieces of parchment under Dumbledore's letter. He started to walk to the stairs so he could write to Ron and Hermione, but a coarse grunt from Uncle Vernon stopped him.  
  
"Wha…what is that," Uncle Vernon stammered as he pointed to the parchment in Harry's hands. He was still twitching slightly, except now he seemed a bit fearful. "You don't have to stay here do you? I won't allow it. Your aunt and I are leaving for the term. Dudley will be at school, and you can't stay here…you can't. Do you hear me?"  
  
"Yes, perfectly. I have to report to school early this term. August 1st. The day before I have to go to Dia…I mean, where I buy my school things. You don't have to bring me or anything. Things've been arranged," said Harry mistily.   
  
Uncle Vernon's red face cleared a little. He then became very rude again…as usual. "Can't you go earlier? Stay with one of those," he choked out, "those…people that you know?"  
  
"No. I'm to stay here, but I'll keep out of your way," said Harry. "It's no sacrifice on my part." This he muttered walking up the stairs, Hogwarts seeming more appealing than ever before.  
  
Up in his tiny bedroom, Harry wrote a letter each to Ron and Hermione. He couldn't wait to see them again. It will be a relief to be back in the secure grounds of Hogwarts again, thought Harry with a slight smile. Hedwig grudgingly accepted the journey to deliver the letters; she was tired after her long journey from wherever Sirius was. Harry sighed and sat down on his bed as he watched Hedwig soar out the window into a cloudy sky. It seemed more comfortable than usual. He fell back against a pillow and closed his eyes. Just as he did this, a misty blue pair of eyes popped up outside of his window and peered in quickly before disappearing into thin air. Harry drifted into a deep and, for once, dreamless sleep.  
  
***  
  
Harry woke up slowly several hours later. He glanced at his watch and realized it was broken, and had been for quite a few months. During the second task of the Triwizard Tournament, his watch stopped working because of all the swimming he did in the lake. He got up and walked downstairs and smelled a foul scent of vegetables. Dinner, he thought. It must have been around seven o'clock. The televisions were blaring from the living room and the kitchen producing and incoherent muddle of sounds. Harry opted to go for the kitchen, Dudley was most likely in the living room since Aunt Petunia was making dinner and probably watching the news in the kitchen.   
  
The smell wafted towards Harry with increasing intensity as he walked nearer and nearer to the kitchen. It was very revolting indeed. Dudley was still on a strict diet because the school nurse said he hadn't lost that much weight, and suspected him of sneaking food at night in his dormitory. His mother and father were given specific orders to watch Dudley very carefully. The school nurse had again sent his diet to follow, and Aunt Petunia again insisted that the whole family follow the diet as well. Harry managed to get some food to hide from the Weasleys, Hermione, and Hagrid at the beginning of the summer holidays. Harry had gotten a few letters from Hagrid and Ron, but none from Hermione, aside from the parcel of food she sent early in the summer. He supposed that she probably went to visit Viktor Krum in Bulgaria, but Harry found it strange that she barely mentioned it at the end of the term.  
  
Harry tried not to breathe very much when he walked into the kitchen. The sour smell of overcooked cabbage and Brussels sprouts was extremely overpowering. He wondered how Aunt Petunia could stand it. She was acting as if the kitchen had a very pleasant scent, not at all the foul odor that was present. Harry sat down on a chair near the scrubbed, square kitchen table. The news was screaming into his ear.   
  
"Well, folks, our last story tonight is one of great mystery. Down in Kent, symbols of a jeweled dagger have been crudely painted on all houses, government buildings, etc. Every attempt to wash off the graffiti has failed. Scientists and other officials have come to investigate this incident, and frankly, they're stumped. One resident claims to have sat outside on his porch all night. 'I didn't see a thing. I like the night air, and often sit out on my porch all through the night. All of a sudden, as if by, oh, magic these green daggers appeared on all the doors of the houses in my community. Even my house! I saw no vandal and I did not move from my porch all that night,' said the frightened Kent resident to a WPIX22 correspondent. Similar happenings have occurred in Manchester and secluded parts of London. In the opinion of this reporter, this vandalism was a cheeky prank of a group of children out for a little fun before the summer holidays end. And this concludes the 7 o'clock news. Tune in at 11 o'clock for a brief wrap-up of today's events including any new breaking news. Good night."  
  
Aunt Petunia clicked off the television and looked at Harry. She peered at him for several moments and then stalked out of the kitchen. Harry suspected she was going to fetch Uncle Vernon, and perhaps Dudley, but he was too involved in his own worries to truly care.  
  
Muggles couldn't have produced the paintings of daggers on the buildings. Rampaging thoughts crashed through Harry's mind just as Uncle Vernon crashed into the kitchen.  
  
"Your aunt has just informed me of what was said on the news. You have something to do with it don't you? You and your abnormality? I won't have anything of the sort in this house. You've brought enough odd things into our lives and if anyone is to find out…we'll move away and not tell you where we went! You'll have no place to go!" exclaimed Uncle Vernon. His shoulders were heaving and his face developed that queer twitch again. Aunt Petunia stood a little behind Uncle Vernon, her eyes showing a mixture of hatred and fear. She was quite pale and stood very still, almost like a statue.  
  
Harry had just about enough of them. He had to say something in his defense and get upstairs to wait for Hedwig. "Listen, I have no idea how or who did this, but it certainly wasn't me. The reporter on the news was right, this was a prank done by some vandals wanting a little fun before school. No magic-"  
  
"DO NOT SAY THAT WORD IN THIS HOUSE!" exploded Uncle Vernon, the steam almost billowing out his ears.   
  
"Er…sorry. Nothing I have to do with was involved, all right? I'll go back up to my room if you don't mind now," Harry said quietly as he walked out of the kitchen…right smack into Dudley.  
  
"Oy, watch where you're going you little weasel! You're going to get it now," said Dudley, aiming a punch at Harry's head. Harry was too fast for him, however. Dudley's fat fist missed him by a mile. He ducked under Dudley's outstretched arm at the right second and tore up the stairs to his room and locked the door. He figured Dudley was too lazy and hungry to bother with a chase anyway.  
  
Harry heard a hooting coming from the window and saw Hedwig perched on the sill. "Hedwig! That was quick," said Harry, grinning at the return of his owl. Harry, expecting two letters, only took one from Hedwig as she gratefully flew back to her cage for a long nap. He unrolled the parchment and saw Ron's scrawl on the page.  
  
*** *** ***  
Hullo, Harry. I just got Dumbledore's letter. Strange, eh? Him wanting us three to go to school early and all? Well, Hermione is coming to stay with us a few days before we have to go back, Bulgaria isn't very safe right now. Dad says Durmstrang is in turmoil with the death of Karkaroff…you heard about that right? Well, anyway, the new headmaster has been found but no one here knows who it is. A Death Eater I'd reckon. Dad thinks Voldemort's return is going to cause times like years ago, before we were born. I overheard him talking with Mum the other night. The whole Ministry is dividing into those who follow Fudge and those who follow Dumbledore. Bet Malfoy isn't coming back to Hogwarts this year, the git. Anyway, I'll see you in a bit, don't let the Dursleys get you down.  
Ron  
*** *** ***  
  
Harry sighed and tossed the letter onto his bedside table. He looked over to see Hedwig fast asleep in her cage. He wondered how she got back so fast; Bulgaria (if Hermione was there at all) was a long way off. Going over these thoughts, Harry dozed off. There was a glow coming from below his window, a blue illumination. Harry seemed to be quite tired lately.  
  
* * *  
  
Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. A rumpled, formerly sleeping Harry was jolted out of his little nap by a tapping at his window. He got up and went to look at what was causing the little noise. He walked over to the window and saw it was almost dawn. The Dursley's wouldn't be up for several hours. The next thing that caught his attention was a beautiful tawny owl fluttering outside his window...causing the tapping. Harry opened the window and let the owl settle onto his bedpost.  
Harry saw the letter attached to its leg, and removed it. Unrolling the parchment, he saw it was from Hermione. Before he could read it though, the owl was nipping at his fingers so he let it into Hedwig's cage who for some reason gladly obliged to the new owl. Ron's owl, Pig, was never accepted with such hospitality. That was Hedwig for you. Harry sat himself on the floor by the cage and began to read his letter.  
  
*** *** ***  
Harry, I just received Dumbledore's letter. It was quite a shock, wouldn't you say? I am in Bulgaria visiting with Viktor, although I must say he has gotten slightly boring over this holiday. I've learned a lot about Bulgarian magic though. It's so different from Britain. Dumbledore has signed Viktor on to help against You Know Who, since he graduated from Durmstrang and all. Speaking of which, Durmstrang supposedly found a new headmaster (have you been informed about Karkaroff?), and you simply won't believe who it is. I won't say anything now. I'll be staying with Ron for a few days before we leave, Dumbledore thought it would be best if I didn't leave from Bulgaria. I'll see you in Diagon Alley soon, but hope to receive a letter from you soon. Ah, there's Hermes...that's odd. Percy never lets Ron use his owl. Well, anyway, before I read the letter or letters rather, I'll close up. Be safe and try to survive those Dursleys.  
Love from,  
Hermione  
*** *** ***  
  
Harry put down the letter, and looked up at the owls. They were sleeping, quite content in fact. "So Hermione did go to Bulgaria. I wonder why Dumbledore doesn't want her leaving from there," Harry thought. He walked over to his window to close it when in the Dursley's front yard he saw a shadowed figure with vibrant, almost glowing, blue eyes.  
Harry opened his mouth to speak but as soon as he did this, the eyes blinked and the shadowed figure was gone.  
  
  
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters, ideas, etc in the Harry Potter series written by JK Rowling. If I have taken another author's previously published idea, please inform me.  
  
A/N: Please review my little fic. It shall have more chapters added on as time goes by. Depends on how much work I have to do. Feel free to e-mail me at any time!  



	2. New Arrivals for Danger

Harry Potter and the Black Days of Bolderwesh  
  
  
Chapter 2: New Arrivals for Danger  
  
  
Harry slammed window closed and dropped to the floor. Sitting cross-legged, he took a moment to think about what he just saw. He couldn't see what the shadowy figure was but the brightness of the eyes he saw bothered him. It can't be human, he thought. House elves' eyes are usually brown, and I don't know of any other creature that'd glow like that.  
  
He got up and sat down on his bed. His scar was hurting him a little. In fact, it had been a bit achy lately, but it was nothing major…at least he hoped it wasn't. He looked at his clock on the bedside table. It was 4:35am. He knew it was safe to go down to the kitchen to get a drink. He'd been meaning to get milk or juice to have with his food under the floorboard and his stomach was growling fiercely already.  
  
Careful not to make any noise, Harry crept downstairs and into the kitchen. All was dark except…  
  
"AUG-," Harry shouted out before he clamped his mouth shut and hoped he hadn't woken any of the Dursleys. The creature with the glowing blue eyes stared at him with a smile of luminous white teeth.  
  
"Greetings, Mr. Potter. I am Celias, a house imp," began the creature too loud to be allowed.  
  
"A house IMP? You mean like a house elf?" asked Harry as quietly as he could.  
  
"No, no! I am not like a mere house elf. I am not almost a slave as those poor souls are. My choice to work in a house is purely voluntary. It is simply that my body structure is suited for work in the home. I do get paid Mr. Potter," said Celias with a smile  
  
"Why are you here? Did someone send you, or did you come here on your own?" asked Harry slightly suspiciously.  
  
"Mr. Sirius Black sent me to keep watch over you. I've known him for years and owed him a favor…and who would give up the chance to serve Harry Potter," said Celias with an ear-to-ear grin.  
  
Now why would Sirius send me a house imp, Harry thought. "Do you know why my godfather sent you to me?"  
  
"He said you needed protection, and that I can supply well."  
  
"Protection? What can you do? I know house elves have a large amount of magical power, but I've never seen any use it."  
  
"Well, you do see the brightness of my eyes and teeth, correct? They provide a light for only the person I currently serve. You, in this case. Very useful. I also have some magic power that wards against Muggles and some wizarding folk. What d'you say?"  
  
"Er…" Harry was shocked to say the least. He came down to get a drink and got a house imp. He'd never heard of house imps before. For the first true time, he looked at the imp. Celias was small, maybe 3 feet tall at best. He wore short black pants that came just under his knobby knees, a loose black shirt, and a black beret that sat askew over his flyaway black hair. Harry noticed that Celias' skin tone was almost black. His eyes and teeth stood out very much in contrast to his dark features.  
  
"Er…well, I guess this is nice and all but I always thought that imps were demons. I read that in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," Harry said cautiously, sounding like Hermione for a moment there.  
  
"Ay, laddie, you can't believe everything you read! We imps aren't demons, not house imps anyhow. People say that the kindly piblus of Scotland will bite your ear off if given the chance! Now you and I being reasonable people know that a piblu wouldn't hurt a fly! Ay, the misconceptions some have. Imps aren't demons…we just have bad tempers. Don't you worry, Harry. I won't hurt you, house imps are quite kind," said Celias with a cheeky smile.  
  
Harry looked at Celias suspiciously. He couldn't help but notice his scar had been hurting a little more since he met him. A lot more now that he thought about it. Sirius would have mentioned sending the imp in his letter, wouldn't he? "Listen, Celias…er…I really don't think you can stay here. I mean the Dursleys would never have it. Why don't you meet me at Hogwarts? Nothing bad, other than Dudley sitting on me, is going to happen here. I'm sure Sirius would agree."  
  
Celias smirked, raising his eyebrows slightly. "I thought you might say that. The old man told me I might have to use force ---"  
  
"F-force? What do you mean force? Who sent you?"  
  
"Oh, I think you already know that. Now, as I was saying. Are you going to put up a fight or be smart and come with me voluntarily?"  
  
Harry looked around nervously. He didn't have his wand with him; it was under the floorboard upstairs. He could try to make a run for it…  
  
"I'm definitely not coming with you by choice. Who are you? It's a simple question," Harry said as stable as he could.  
  
Celias looked at Harry almost maliciously. "You are a tough one. Quite sorry, old boy, but I have to do this. I think this will hurt you more than I…too bad."  
  
Harry instantly got into a defensive stance but it was too late. Celias had already started his attack. He muttered something and beams of white light shot out of his long fingers. They struck Harry just as he was about to lunge at Celias. His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed onto the linoleum floor. His glasses flew off his face and landed a few feet away. Celias smiled evilly and grabbed Harry's wrist. He snapped his fingers twice and the two disappeared.  
  
At this moment, Aunt Petunia sleepily walked into the kitchen. As she stepped her foot, clad in a pink silk slipper, came down heavily on Harry's glasses.  
  
CRACK! She looked down and screamed. The lenses of Harry's glasses had broken and cut through Aunt Petunia's slippers, wounding her foot. She moved and saw what cut her. At the sight of Harry's glasses, she gasped and quickly limped up to her bedroom looking in Harry's bedroom on the way. She retrieved Uncle Vernon and they both went down to the kitchen. When he saw Harry's smashed glasses, he looked around curiously and began to chuckle. A laugh filled with hate and happiness at the same time.  
  
  
A/N: Well, I hope you liked this second chapter. Work has already begun on the third, look for it soon. :) I'd love more feedback on my story, so please review! Not much to say...send me any good fics if you have 'em! See my profile for my e-mail address and AOL screen name. G'bye, and happy reading!  
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns all of the characters, ideas presented in the Harry Potter series. Celias and the piblu monster are my creations, I own them. If you'd like to use them, please ask.  



	3. The Return of a Darker Dark

Harry Potter and the Black Days of Bolderwesh  
  
  
Chapter 3: The Return of a Darker Dark  
  
Harry slowly woke up to find himself in a dark room, lying on a cold floor. He felt very damp but that was nothing compared to the pain he was feeling. His scar was throbbing full blast now but he managed to stand and walk around the room, searching for an exit. Finding none, he stopped for a moment and pondered his situation.  
  
No wand, no one knows where I am…not even me, he thought. "Voldemort must have done this. Who else would have," Harry muttered  
  
He sighed. He couldn't help but be scared. Without his wand…  
  
Suddenly bright light engulfed the room. Harry had to shield his eyes from the rush of light. A man in navy blue robes had opened the door. He stepped into the room and closed the door. From what Harry could see, he brandished a very long wand and muttered, "Lumen Totus". At that instant, the whole room was filled with a comfortable light and Harry looked around him. He could barely see, as he noticed his glasses were nowhere to be found. By squinting he could make out some details of his surroundings.  
  
He was sitting on the stone floor of a very old hut. It was empty aside from a pile of hay in a far corner. There were no windows, but from the light that entered when the man opened the door, he guessed it was the middle of the day.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Harry Potter. Harry Potter. Just saying that name gives me…mmm, chills," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. For a moment, he sounded like Snape.  
  
Harry stared at the man curiously. To his surprise, the pain in his scar had almost disappeared when the man walked in. His robes were a little shabby, reminding him of his old Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus Lupin. They did seem out of place; the style wasn't of the robes you'd usually find.  
  
"Where am I? Who are you?" Harry nervously inquired.  
  
"Why, I'm Tarquin. Don't sound so nervous, Harry. I don't bite," said the man with a slight smile.  
  
"I…I'm not nervous. I'd just like to know where I am, that's all," stammered Harry a little too quickly.  
  
"Well, we're in a farm in the Bracknell Forest, a few miles north of Bagshot," replied Tarquin.  
  
"Bagshot? How long have I been here? I've never heard of Bagshot before," said Harry suspiciously.  
  
"Not many have. You've been here for a few hours. As I said, don't be worried."  
  
"Worried? I'm not worried, just curious," Harry answered.  
  
"Which we all know killed the cat," said Tarquin, smiling a little.  
  
Harry chuckled nervously, but he actually felt a little bit less nervous than he had before. "Why am I here? Honestly, this is very confusing. Did you send Celias?" he asked.  
  
"Celias? Oh yes, him. No wonder you're worried, he can be a little intense," Tarquin replied. Harry snorted. A little intense, he thought, I don't want to know what he thinks is really intense.  
  
"I sent him to fetch you," Tarquin continued, "but you know how imps can be. Mischievous little demons they are. Now, really, I should address why I brought you here."  
  
"By all means, I'd really like to find out soon so I," Harry said with a gulp, "can return to the Dursleys." He almost fell over on his side at what he said but he stared at Tarquin, mentally asking for an answer.  
  
"Oh, of course. Yes, you should be returning soon. Not to worry As for your purpose here, I'm sure you know you have great powers. You defeated Voldemort several times."  
  
"Wait, how do you know about that?" Harry interrupted. He was surprised Tarquin said Voldemort instead of You-Know-Who.  
  
"Word gets around. As I was saying, your power can be of great help to me and the rest of the world. Now brace yourself, I'm going to talk for a while but listen carefully. Voldemort has considerable powers, but several centuries ago there was a wizard who had perhaps double or triple the dark power of Voldemort. He caused massive destruction in the Muggle and wizard worlds of that time," said Tarquin. He paused a moment to see Harry's reaction.  
  
Harry looked puzzled. He said, "I've never heard of a wizard with powers stronger than Voldemort. I thought that was why everyone was so scared of Voldemort when he first rose to power."  
  
"Ah, Harry, there was a catch to this wizard. There was a reason you don't know about him. This wizard was completely unidentified. His power was so great that he was able to make himself COMPLETELY invisible, not just the simple way an invisibility cloak can. A good Auror can find you with that. However, no one caught this him. No one even knew a wizard was causing this devastation, except for a chosen few, his inner circle of advisors. Finally, for some reason, the wizard "disappeared" and the world returned to peaceful conditions. The only information kept on this time period was that a mysterious force caused worldwide destruction to both worlds but most have yet to find out what. However, after all of these years, this wizard is back. No one knows about it except I," Tarquin explained.  
  
"If you know about this wizard, doesn't that mean you were on his side? How did you stay alive so long?" Harry asked.  
  
"I was on the wizard's side in the past and he performed a spell to grant me eternal life. He often created his own spells; his powers gave him that ability. However, one day he killed my family. He cared about his advisors individually; however anyone they cared about meant nothing. I turned away from him and hid for decades in Africa. He never found me, my powers were somewhat great at that point; I had watched him carefully for years to improve in my magic. Now I try to protect the world from him, I always search for signs of his return. I know for certain he has returned but I do not know the present extent of his powers," Tarquin continued.  
  
"What is the name of this wizard?" Harry asked.  
  
"His name is Bolderwesh. His advisors came to call his reign 'The Black Days of Bolderwesh," Tarquin whispered.  
  
Harry let all the information sink in. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't fully believe Tarquin. He had never read anything in History of Magic about a time of destruction hundreds of years ago. He decided he needed more proof of Tarquin's honesty.  
  
"Tarquin, how many years ago did The Black Days of Bolderwesh occur?" Harry inquired.  
  
"I would have to say 600 odd years ago, yes, that is about right," Tarquin replied.  
  
"600? Amazing how long ago that was, Nicolas Flamel was only 45 then. I thought he was the only wizard with eternal life."  
  
Tarquin spat on the ground. His brows furrowed and he had a look of anger in his eyes. "Nicolas Flamel, you say? He was one of Bolderwesh's closest advisors, or so we thought. He was jealous of me. Bolderwesh knew I had greater power, but did not trust me as much as Flamel. However, Bolderwesh saw it fit to teach me the 'Anima Sempiterna' spell first. That is the spell that grants eternal life, naturally it is very difficult and requires a great deal of power. When Flamel heard of this, he could barely contain himself. For all his 45 years of life he had been searching for a spell to give him immortality. I had never even considered the subject of eternal life. It was in the opinion of Flamel that I did not deserve the spell as much as he, and he tried desperately to convince Bolderwesh to teach it to him instead. Bolderwesh paid no attention to him and made it quite clear that as soon as I proved myself, I would be his second in command. The day I was to learn the spell, an enraged Flamel snuck into the area where I would be taught. He stayed there throughout the whole lesson and he too learned the spell and its functions. Naturally he told no one of his treachery. I only found out what he did when I saw him channeling the spell's power into a small red stone. I confronted him, but being the liar he was, he ran to Bolderwesh and concocted a story that I had been teaching him the spell in secret. Bolderwesh was outraged and killed my family. It almost killed me to see all that I cared for gone, and I hated both of them for it. I turned away from the Dark Arts and hid in Africa. From what I heard, Flamel became Bolderwesh's most trusted servant and Flamel was sent to find me. Of course he did not succeed. I heard of Flamel's death from a trusted friend at Hogwarts. I came out of hiding to be overpowered with signs of Bolderwesh's return. I felt some while in seclusion, but I doubted them. I need your help, Harry. Bolderwesh cannot return," Tarquin said.  
  
"Nicolas Flamel wasn't evil! Professor Dumbledore was his partner; they worked together for years! Professor Dumbledore wouldn't trust someone who was evil" Harry exclaimed angrily.  
  
"Harry! Calm down. Perhaps that Flamel changed, but the one I knew, he was a liar, devious, selfish, and evil. I know about Dumbledore. You may not know, but Dumbledore was granted something of an eternal life. A man I once knew, Alfred Hintcher, was a close friend of Dumbledore's. He is dead now, but a few days before his death, he told me Dumbledore was granted five hundred years of life by Flamel. Dumbledore saved Flamel's life one day, that is how the became partners. Flamel could only "thank" him by giving him guaranteed life for a certain amount of time. Dumbledore told only two people of this, Alfred and your father, James. James asked Dumbledore to look after you in case anything happened to him," Tarquin continued as Harry stared on with disbelieving eyes. "You must believe me, Harry. I met your friend Dumbledore once, ask him about me. Tell him what I have told you. Think about helping me."  
  
Harry asked, "And if I choose not to help you? What then? What if your whole story is nothing but a lie?"  
  
"Then do nothing. Do not aid me, I shall manage. You will see though. If Bolderwesh fully rises, the Black Days the world once knew shall once again come, only far darker," Tarquin replied. "When you get back to school, speak to Dumbledore at once. This is all I ask. Then if you choose to help me, you can reach me through telepathic waves. Say this incantation "Dictum Tarquinus" and you can speak to me through your mind. Do you agree?"  
  
Harry pondered this for a moment. He figured he had nothing really to lose, so he decided to go along with Tarquin's request. "Yes, yes, I agree," he stated.  
  
"Wonderful. I hope to hear from you with good news soon, Harry. I am going to send you back to the Dursley's now. Goodbye and good luck," Tarquin said.  
  
Before Harry could say farewell, Tarquin snapped his fingers and he found himself being sucked into a black vacuum. Barely a moment later, he dropped on his bed in the Dursley home.  
  
  
DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns anything from the original Harry Potter series. I own Celias, Tarquin, Lumen Totus, Bolderwesh, and Anima Sempiterna.  
  
A/N: Well, here is the third chapter! Quite sorry it took so long, but I had a severe case of writer's block. Please review, I am open to all constructive criticism, suggestions, etc. Look for the fourth chapter soon, I'll try to make it more exciting than this one. :) Happy Reading!  



	4. Reliving the World Cup

Harry Potter and the  
Black Days of Bolderwesh  
Year 5 At Hogwarts  
  
  
Chapter 4: Reliving the World Cup  
  
  
Harry shook his head several times as he looked around his room. His bed was a mess; he was sitting on a crumpled heap of blankets and sheets with pieces of his ceiling mixed in. The window had been shattered, the window frame completely destroyed. Shards of glass and bits of wood littered his floor. The floor itself remained intact, however, and Harry hoped what was underneath the floor was as well. Dudley's old broken toys and other possessions were destroyed even further, even his former mint-condition books. The closet door hung on one hinge, creaking as the breeze blew it back and forth. Hedwig's cage lay sideways on the floor, empty with its door hanging open.  
  
Harry got off of his bed and began to inspect his belongings under the floorboard. His Hogwarts trunk and everything in it was all right, even the invisibility cloak. His broom, the food parcels, books, all of it was fine. He looked out of the window hoping to see Hedwig, but couldn't spot even one bird in the sky.  
  
He didn't remember hearing an explosion or anything breaking when he arrived in his room. "It couldn't have been me, but who would have done this," Harry pondered as he scratched nose absentmindedly. He walked over to the door and kicked it open since the doorknob was lying a few feet away on a pile of the remains of a toy truck. The rest of the second floor of the Dursley home looked peaceful, Aunt Petunia's almost neurotic housekeeping still showed.   
  
As he walked down the stairs and to the living room, he noticed immediately that something was wrong. No televisions were blaring; no horrid cooking smells were wafting. Creeping towards the kitchen, he saw a disaster, much like the one he found in his room. Pots, pans, eating utensils, and various dented cans were strewn about the room. The refrigerator door was open, leaving the food to spoil and the actual icebox to hum incessantly.  
  
Shaking his head and muttering to himself, Harry ventured to the living room. Oddly enough, this room was left alone. As with the upstairs, it was easy to tell that Aunt Petunia had just recently cleaned. However, the strangest part was that none of the Dursley's seemed to be home. The house was quiet, peaceful, and even pleasant to live in. Something had to be amiss.  
  
Harry sat down on an easy chair to think for a few moments. Where could they be, he thought. Harry searched through the dining room, the bathroom, and even the cupboard that used to be his bedroom. Nary a Dursley was found. Finally, Harry decided to go out into the backyard. The Dursley's had a small yard (fenced in, of course) where occasional guests were entertained and where Aunt Petunia often crept around to have a listen into the lives of the neighbors. Through the door to the yard went Harry, hoping to find at least a trace of the Dursleys. Even though they were horrid to him, Harry had to at least care about their whereabouts. Something about an old magic that Dumbledore once mentioned…  
  
As his foot was about to step on the grass, Harry was shot back into the house and onto his knees by a jolt of energy. His scar was shooting; the pain was a worse one than he'd had recently, perhaps even a year. Rubbing his forehead, he picked himself up with a grimace. Slowly he made his way towards the door and instead of stepping out, he surveyed the yard from the threshold.  
  
When Harry saw the mess and state of Uncle Vernon and Dudley, he was speechless. The two male Dursleys were unconscious, bound, and gagged. Uncle Vernon had a trickle of blood running from a gash in his forehead. Dudley looked bruised, but the purple blotches could have been jelly stains from a doughnut sneaked behind the parental back.  
  
Harry saw that both Dudley and Uncle Vernon had a black spot on the forehead about the size of an American silver dollar. When he looked as close as he could without stepping over the doorframe, the worst was realized. The black spot was actually the Dark Mark, the skull and the snake. The tattooed Dark Mark was so worrying that Harry completely forgot about looking for Aunt Petunia. "Voldemort, Voldemort. Which of his minions did this I wonder. Dumbledore said there was an old magic here, how could they --" Harry muttered before he was surprised out of his wits by a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Harry whipped around to see the owner of the hand. By the look of the uniform it was an official from the Ministry of Magic, Muggle Affairs division. He seemed to be their boss as his robe had the imprint of a golden wand, which the others lacked. 3 others accompanied the wizard; all dressed the same, carrying their black Ministry wands.   
  
"Harry, m'boy, what's going on here? Don't tell me you've been doing magic to hurt your family, here," said the first wizard. "I am Agent Grimes, head of the Muggle Injury Department."  
  
"Er...Agent Grimes, if you would come take a l-l-look you'd see something you probably haven't seen since the Quidditch World Cup, if you were there that is," said Harry, clearly nervous.  
  
"Well son, I was not there but I certainly know all that went on down there. Agent Molloy! Step up now," barked Agent Grimes.  
  
A heavyset wizard with a receding blonde hairline and thick green glasses took his place next to Agent Grimes, ringing his robe sleeves in his sweaty hands. "Y-yes, sir?"  
  
"Hm, yes, Molloy. Now, tell Harry here about any of the important happenings of the Cup that you told me," grumbled Agent Grimes.  
  
Agent Molloy fidgeted with his glasses for a moment before launching into his explanation of what happened at the World Cup. Harry didn't interrupt but waited anxiously for him to mention the appearance of the Dark Mark. There wasn't a moment to spare, Dumbledore had to be notified although he might have known already, Sirius, Ron, Hermione, there were many things to do and these Agents weren't listening to anything but a dull recount of the World Cup.  
  
Finally Agent Molloy said, "And after that silly business with the Dark Mark and the Muggle family was over, we --"  
  
"There you go!" exclaimed Harry. "If you'd for once listen and come see what happened, you would be more worried than you are now." Without another word, Harry pointed to the open yard door and stepped by it. "You can try to go through if you'd like but there may still be a barrier there that threw me back and didn't let me through," said Harry sharply.  
  
"A magical barrier, you say?" asked Agent Grimes suspiciously. "Appears you know a lot about advance ma-"  
  
Agent Grimes stopped in his tracks, a few centimeters away from the grass. His eyes sat on Dudley and Uncle Vernon, particularly the marks on their foreheads. Agent Molloy walked slowly to Agent Grimes' side and when he too saw the Dark Mark he could only mutter "S-s-sir, s-s-sir…"  
  
The other two agents hung back, they seemed to be trainees. Harry looked at them and noticed that one looked very familiar, although he couldn't figure out from where.  
  
Back in Harry's bedroom, a cloaked wizard was poking through the debris, clearly looking for something. With a chuckle he muttered, "Those Ministry wizards will be swarming the place soon, but they have no idea who they're dealing with…."  
  
A/N: I'm back!! Sorry, sorry, sorry it took me so long to update, the site hasn't been working for a while for me. ;) Well, this is short but I had to get something out. Next update will be soon, since hopefully, FF.net will be working for me for a while. Please R/R, you know how I am… J  
  
Disclaimer: All belongs to J.K. Rowling except the characters not mentioned in the Harry Potter series itself.  



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